Del Mar's interim leader quits early

President cites lack of support from the regents

Kirkland says faculty members hold too much power over administrators.

CORPUS CHRISTI - Del Mar College interim President Travis Kirkland resigned his position months ahead of schedule, citing a lack of support from college regents.

In a resignation letter submitted Jan. 2, Kirkland stated he believed he did not have regents' full support. Policy changes he proposed, including how tenure is granted, were not approved at a November board meeting. His resignation is effective Thursday.

&quot;My goal was to change the college's culture -- so the next president could be successful,&quot; Kirkland said Monday. &quot;When I came here I made very clear to the board that I had to have their support or I was going home.&quot;

Kirkland, 63, was selected in June to temporarily replace former president Carlos Garcia and lead the college until a new president was selected. He was selected through a search firm, to which the college approved paying as much as $34,000, and when hired in June, Kirkland was supposed to serve between nine and 12 months. He was paid $12,160 a month.

Although Kirkland submitted his resignation in early January, regents chose not to make his decision public until after he announced it to the media early Monday.

&quot;There was still discussion between the regents and him,&quot; Board of Regents President Chris Adler said.

Kirkland said the board had been trying to keep him in the position.

When questioned Friday about whether Kirkland had resigned, college spokeswoman Claudia Jackson said she had no information. On Monday, she said she had not been authorized to give out that information.

Adler said the board likely will accept Kirkland's resignation at today's regular board meeting and address the possibility of assigning someone to fill the post until the selection of a new president in May.

&quot;We need the continuity of someone being in the office and making decisions,&quot; she said.

But Adler said she didn't know what criteria the regents would use to make that selection.

Kirkland's proposals again are on the regents' agenda for consideration.

In the fall, Kirkland identified several college policies that he said could be improved to give administrators more authority over faculty members. Those proposals drew a heated response that included a lawsuit from several faculty members.

One of the most controversial policy changes proposed by Kirkland was on the issue of tenure -- a contractual guarantee to due process before termination.

He proposed in September to end the practice of granting faculty tenure when they receive their first promotions.

When the proposals went before the board in November, a standing-room only crowd of students and staff mostly voiced opposition to making the changes without more time for review and discussion. The board voted to table the proposals until this month, although a number of regents voiced disapproval for the delay.

&quot;It was our job to listen to his suggestions and act on them,&quot; Adler said. &quot;It may have not been in the same time frame he expected, but we have to do what's best for Del Mar.&quot;

Kirkland said he felt faculty members held too much power over administrators at the college.

&quot;They can stop any change,&quot; he said. &quot;This is a good school in so many ways, but we can't keep doing this.&quot;

Regent Bill Martin, co-chairman of the board's presidential search committee, referred questions regarding Kirkland's resignation to Adler, but said he didn't think it would affect the quality of candidates in the ongoing search for a permanent president.

&quot;I think in a way, it could be positive, in a sense that we could get someone who is really serious about making this a place to excel in,&quot; Martin said.

Last week the college announced it is accepting applications from students, staff and community members interested in serving on a Presidential Advisory Committee that will help create a list of candidate qualities. Applications are available online at www.delmar.edu/psearch.